SCII  WoL Aftermath:  Good Thing Turned Big Error
by DeltaCadimus
Summary: He managed to atone for all his sins, after five years of struggle.  But as he finally leaves what's supposed to be Hell, he'll find out what he did will cost a terrible price.  ONESHOT, LANGUAGE, SPOILERS, POSSIBLE BRIDGE TO HotS!


**STARCRAFT II - WINGS OF LIBERTY**  
**AFTERMATH: GOOD THING TURNED BIG ERROR**

The red skies of Planet Char were, at the same time, dreadful and beautiful. Despite the fact the atmosphere was one capable of sustaining human life, it's temperature wasn't so generous. To hear an old man say it, it was enough to _"burn a man alive"._ Even worse than the planet itself, were it's denizens, insect-like aliens bent on the simple purpose of growing, multiplying. And killing. When a man faced the Zerg, they weren't bands, flocks, groups, armies, it was none of that. They were Swarms.

But then, sometimes, to get a new piece of heaven or take an old one back, it's worth a trip to Hell. James Eugene Raynor could say so. A caucasian man on his thirties, with the appearance between an old cowboy and a battered up soldier, could have gone there for glory, fame, fortune. He did it for a woman. A woman that now layed on his arms as he kept sat on the Dropship seat leaving Char. Back to the "Behemoth" class Battlecruiser called _Hyperion._ Back home.

The woman in question was Sarah Louise Kerrigan. A "Ghost" before. A Queen for the Zerg a few hours ago. Now, she was what she were before she was left to those beasts. A human. Or a Terran. The terms, for most, be they other humans, Zerg or Protoss, were the same. The naked, slender woman and her pale skin, the only thing _'alien'_ on her being the hair, still filled with bone-like tendrils, was his beacon of light. A perfect princess for what she once called him _"a knight in shining armor"_. And he was shining indeed. Courtesy of the space suit he was wearing. As bulky as it sounded, this 'armor' was the new standard of war for humanity in the 26th century. Even most for the citizens of the war-torn Koprulu Sector.

Suddenly, a beeping sound comes from one of the walls on the small ship. Raynor, as the quasi-gentleman he was, decided to lay her down on the seat to rest, gave her a small kiss on her forehead, and went on to access the transmission's computer. A single press button was enough to show, on the computer's screen, a blond, young man in his classic monarchic attire. Prince Valerian Mengsk. Son of the man that was Raynor's human nemesis. But the son that allowed him to have his love back.

"Well, well. I see you did it, Mr. Raynor.", spoke Valerian. "Got your loved one back, defeated the Zerg and set hope for all mankind. More than any _'hero'_ my father brings in would-"

"Cut it, Valerian.", Raynor interrupted. "Now that things are settled with, I'm leaving. Get your damn fame and do whatever you like, I don't care. Not anymore."

Valerian quirked an eyebrow. "I see.", he said. "Then I guess I can simply put on the payment and-"

"Keep the money.", Raynor interrupted again.

Valerian sounded surprised. For the Prince of the Terran Dominion, it was a first that a man did his job and still refused payment. "What?", he asked.

"You got my girl back. That's quite enough for a 'payment'.", Raynor said, with a strange balance between a serious tone and one of humour.

"If you say so, Mr. Raynor.", Valerian said, briefly raising his eyebrows. "But I see the man that almost always kept company with you is not with you this time. What happened to Mr. Findlay?", he concluded, noticing something different.

"Tychus...", Raynor reflected. He didn't want to come on to this point, given what happened to him, but nevertheless, the man asked, so he deserved an answer. "He's dead, Valerian."

Tychus Findlay was one of Raynor's old friends. By 'old', he meant the times of a criminal life time he kept on when the defunct Terran Confederacy, predecessor to the new 'empire' that is the Dominion, ruled over the human worlds of the Koprulu Sector. But as the old _'Crime does not pay'_ saying goes, this life style came to an end, both for Tychus as well as Raynor. As the former got stuck in cryo-prison for a long time, the latter became a Marshall in the fringe colony of Mar Sara. How he did so and why is still a mystery. Then, all these years later, Tychus came out, but with a price. A deal with the Devil. Either he obeyed to the man that sprung him or he would die. And when this man ordered Findlay to eliminate Kerrigan, even when she was no longer the Queen of the Zerg, Raynor didn't have a choice. It was either her or him.

"So, I guess this is it.", Valerian said. "Farewell, Raynor."

"Alright, then. Take care of yourself, kid.", Raynor replied. As he proceeded to press the button, and in doing so, Valerian looked shocked.

"What t-" These were the last words before the screen shut off. Raynor figured for a very little moment what he was worried, but then decided to leave it. He's been through so much that nothing more mattered. To him, it was just boarding back in the _Hyperion_ and jump away. Thus he waited until the Dropship could finally exit orbit and proceed to it.

The _Hyperion_ did look much like any other Terran Battlecruiser through out the system. But the interiors and it's history would suggest differently. As with it's crew, who were known to bring the _gift_ Jim Raynor is to life. The _Hyperion_, in it's former days, was at the service of the Dominion's predecessors, a _'terrorist'_ group, as the Confederacy called it, the Sons of Korhal. So was Raynor too, working with the very people he'd have to kill in the future. The moment to change sides only came when the Sons of Korhal's leader, the very _'Emperor'_ of the Dominion himself, used the Zerg like an easy weapon to overthrow the Confederacy. The same man that did a terrible thing... to _her_. Thus, the ship and it's crew have been ever since facing the Zerg, being on the run from the people they helped rise to power and having some problems with Protoss fanatics, mercenaries and low-life criminals.

The Dropship finally came to land inside one of the _Hyperion's_ bays, one of the Armories. Raynor proceeded to pick up Kerrigan and wait until the door would open. He expected to see the crew members looking at both shock, joy and suprise the woman who was the greatest threat to the entire sector. He expected to just walk in the Sick Bay section, leave her, go to the bridge and talk to his trusted officer to leave.

Instead he finds _six_ Impaler Gauss Rifles pointing at the pair the moment the door lowers down. The holders were other men that, like Raynor, weared space suits. But those colors were purely red, with only some of them wearing black colors in some suit parts. The colors of the Dominion Marine Corps.

"What the-", Raynor spoke with a look of all sorts: Surprise, shock, indignation, but above all was anger.

"Take him! Get her too!", one of the Dominion Marines interrupted. They started advancing like there was no tomorrow.

"Hey, hey! Get away! STAY AWAY FROM HER!", Raynor said. He tried to react, but it was too late. The time was simply short. Two Dominion marines get him to beat him up. He carelessly drops Kerrigan to the floor as a reaction. A third Dominion Marine proceeded to pick Kerrigan up. As the beating is done, the two Marines proceed to drag Raynor further inside the ship, with the other Marines holding gunpoint at him.

_'Valerian!'_, Raynor thought. _'I should've known it better! Like father, like **SON!**'_ But he couldn't do anything now. Still, he couldn't believe it. The best moment of his life and in a few minutes the Dominion just... strips it away.

The group finally comes before a door in one of the corridors of the ship. As it opens, it is revealed the Bridge section, a rather well decorated room with a stylized architecture and sculptured wolf heads in all vantage points above the ship and surrounding the Starmap table. The people come inside, bringing foward their 'prisoner'. Raynor just looks above and wastes no time to shout at man he had trusted a few days ago.

**"VALERIAN! YOU BACKSTABBING MOTHER-"**

"Language... _Captain!_", spoke the man's voice, with his back towards Raynor, beholding deep space. The only problem was that... this voice tone was **not** Valerian's.

_'No... Not now...'_, Raynor thought, preparing for the worst. But what this same man spoke next confirmed his fears.

"Get him on his feet. Let him stand proud like a... man.", the voice said again. The Dominion Marines followed it to the letter. Then, as Raynor was on his feet, he could look to his right side to see all the people he worked with, all his loved ones standing too at their knees, with Dominion Marines holding gunpoint as well.

_Scientist Egon Stetmann_, the slim, geeky scientist that helped him out on the lab, providing exclusive technology that could help face out both Protoss and Zerg enemies.

_Chief Engineer Rory Swann_, the old, short and over-weighted guy that took care of not only of the ship, but of Raynor's men himself, providing all new hardware Raynor and his Raiders provided.

_Graven Hill_, the strong, short-haired, glass-using man that provided the best of the best in mercenary manpower.

Last but not least, was the well-dressed officer, young and logical man of the Hyperion, and one of the best Raynor had the honor to work with. _Second-in-command and Captain Matthew Horner._

Raynor turned to look back foward, only to see the mysterious man finally turn around and show his face. The face of the man responsible for about every disgrace in Raynor's life and the life of billions of other humans. The face of the man that dared to play with the Zerg. The man who simply left Sarah Kerrigan to succumb to the Zerg and become... that.

Arcturus Mengsk.

* * *

The only reactions in Raynor's face were those looks of rage and anger.

_"Arcturus!"_, Raynor spoke, with voice controlled and firm, but almost quiet in a demonstration of rancour. "Why ain't I suprised, you son of a bitch?"

Mengsk only snorted with a slight smile on his face, one of triumph. The door behind Raynor then opened to reveal another lone Dominion Marine.

"Sir, we have Kerrigan in the Sick Bay, all tranquilized.", the Marine said.

"Perfect. We may still have a chance of fixing all this mess. Have my medical team and the artificial infestation syringe at the ready.", Mengsk replied.

"WHAT? **THAT DOES IT!**", Raynor roared. He quickly took advantage of his restrainers' relaxing and escaped their grasp, charging towards Mengsk, like an angry bull. Raynor's intentions were simple: He was going to beat Mengsk so hard, until he was dead. Of course, there were the Dominion guards on the Bridge who could kill him, execute his crew and then move him to kill Kerrigan. But Raynor didn't care about it. If he died, at least he'd taking the bastard Emperor straight to Hell.

However, Arcturus didn't even move to evade the charge. He just _stood_ there, all proud and confident, not even _preparing_ to recieve Raynor's full pack of fury.

In just a few seconds, a lot of things happened.

Raynor kept running, about to hit his target.

The Dominion Marines raised their rifles to aim at him.

A strange swirl of dark fumes rose up against Raynor.

He hit it.

And fell down with his back to the ground.

Mengsk only smirked.

"FRIEND RAYNOR! **NO!**" spoke a thundering, dark voice, almost identical of a god. The dark fumes then dissapeared to reveal a gigantic alien being, twice the size of a Terran Marine, which hoarded digitigrade legs, semi-permeable skin covered in scales and four digits on his hands, of which two are thumbs. His head didn't have any nose, mouth or ears, merely two glowing eyes and a bone-like crest behind his head. A Protoss.

But this Protoss was no ordinary one. A standard Protoss would normally be seen wearing a golden-like armor, esthetically beautified to represent the _nobility_ of his race. This Protoss had nothing but a collection of ragged clothing that covered his body torso and intimate lower parts _(Despite the fact the Protoss had none of that)_, and a few pieces of crude armor covering his shoulders, torso, wrists, knees and legs. The mark of a Protoss Dark Templar.

And not just any Dark Templar. One of Raynor's most trusted Protoss friends. The human renegade this Dark Templar was friends with raised his head to see him, only to reveal a face of shock and suprise.

"Raynor, what have you done?", the Protoss said.

**"ZERATUL?"** Raynor said, indignated. "That's _MY_ question! What the hell you're doing working for _THAT_ guy?", he continued, pointing a finger at Mengsk.

"I know of his prophecy as well, Jim.", Mengsk spoke. "He came to me too. And to prove I'm not so ignorant I was patient to listen and see what he showed.", he continued.

Raynor knew something wasn't right. Mengsk promised, since his rise to power, he wouldn't let anyone stand with alien powers, of which the Protoss were included. How would someone that wanted every Zerg burned and every Protoss killed or slaved _(That thought **did** occur in Raynor's mind!)_ be listening to such an alien? Worse still, an alien Raynor trusted and _believed in_, that warned him of the forecoming doom?

The prophecy Zeratul mentioned did tell the end of all things in the hands of a single, god-like being, and the true nature of the Zerg. Like the Confederacy and the opportunistic United Earth Directorate have tried almost five years ago, this being had enslaved the Zerg and used it to bring an end to everything, Zerg, Protoss and Terrans included. And it all began with one death: Sarah Kerrigan.

Eventually, according to Zeratul, the Zerg and it's original leader, the gargantuan, immobile being known as the Overmind weren't _always_ so terrible. They _(Or at least the sentient Zerg)_ were possessed of thought and reason. But never _free will_. It was something that drove the Zerg to the Koprulu Sector, destroyed the Terran Confederacy and ravaged the very Protoss homeworld of Aiur. Thus, the Overmind had converted Kerrigan, infested her into the Queen of Blades, to actually _free_ the Zerg from this being's slavery.

If Kerrigan fell, Raynor knew what was to come. Terrans and Protoss would be extinguished from existance, from Korhal to Earth, the very cradle of Man, and the galaxy would be shrouded in darkness for what would be an eternity. All because of a single death, a single confusion of threats.

Raynor, however, wouldn't buy so easily what Mengsk told.

"Bullshit! If you had listened to it, you wouldn't have Tychus **kill** her!", he spoke with conviction as the two Dominion Marines went on pick him up and put on his feet again, this time holding fast.

"It was a _tranquilizer_ bullet, for Earth's sake!", Mengsk replied.

"He aimed in her _HEAD!_", Raynor insisted.

"He did it?", Mengsk asked, this time with a lightly suprised look. He knew Findlay, with all the 'secret' conversations he had, didn't like Kerrigan, but to the point of wanting to kill her? Mengsk still knew what to do: She died, Findlay would go with her. All Megnsk needed to do was push the button and the space suit machinery would release a poison shutting down _all_ of Findlay's major organs.

"It does not matter, Emperor Mengsk. Even now, Friend Raynor, you must understand you have done a terrible error!", Zeratul resumed his conversation.

"Exactly.", Mengsk said. "You know, I could even _forgive_ that little rebellion of yours in Mar Sara and that stunt in Korhal, I **maybe** have deserved it. But you went really over the edge on Char. And **_Castanar_** too."

'No.', Raynor thought. 'You _REALLY_ deserved it!'

Mar Sara, like five years ago, was where it all started. Raynor, back then, had started a little rebellion against the Dominion, by destroying an outpost and Planetary Headquarters with anti-Dominion sympathetic civilians. But his plans were altered with the return of the Zerg, making him retreat back to the _Hyperion_ and evacuate the colony.

Korhal, for Raynor, was a real move he thought it would hurt Mengsk. Utilizing a heavy weapon vehicle prototype he captured in planet Valhalla, a testing ground for the new Dominion weapons, Raynor, Findlay and the Raiders seized the Universe News Network (UNN) studios in Downtown Augustgrad and transmitted evidence of Mengsk's power lust he had found from a series of train robberies on the now ruined Confederate capital of Tarsonis. This transmission had made the Emperor's approval rate sink to 14%, the lowest record ever, and generated a full-scaled civilian revolt on all Dominion-controlled worlds.

Char, he knew Mengsk was indeed furious. Valerian, his own son, had taken over _half_ of the Dominion fleet to utilize it in a daring invasion against the Swarm, utilizing a Xel'Naga artifact, assembled with the pieces Raynor collected on Mar Sara, during the rebellion, Monlyth, Xil, Typhon IV and a ruined Xel'Naga ship itself on the Sigma Quadrant. But Raynor was then collecting them for a substancial amount of money for the Moebius Foundation, a _supposed-to-be legal_ research group, when he found out Valerian was behind the _whole_ game. As they activated the built up artifact on Char, right at Kerrigan's (In that time, the Queen of Blades) doorstep, it had ravaged every Zerg within miles and turned Kerrigan back the way Valerian promised Raynor: Human again.

But Castanar was simply _too much._ Hadn't the Raiders destroyed a Science Facility belonging to the Dominion, they wouldn't have found the documents revealing a secret weapons lab in the planet's orbiting asteroid field. They wouldn't have found all sorts of experimental weaponry and the abusive tests they'd done to both Protoss and Zerg subjects. They wouldn't have found that... _thing._

Prior to Zeratul's understanding of his prophecy, he went on to decipher it on a distant world. But instead of helping, the Protoss guardians of this world fell to the domain of a twisted being, a perfect mix between Protoss and Zerg DNA. A **Hybrid.** Zeratul and the Protoss warriors he met had eventually overcome the creature and it's minions, but he knew more would come to bring foward the Armageddon Raynor saw.

And one of them was found right on _Castanar._ On Mengsk secret lab. It destroyed the lab and it's occupants. As it was almost impervious to all sorts of attack, Raynor and his men had no choice but to escape the facility on a lucky found Dominion vessel. Raynor quickly realized he had something of value to argue with him, the way he was at the moment.

"Good thing you mentioned that too, you bastard! I knew the end and all that was coming, but making up one of those **THINGS?** Are you outta your **_MIND?_**", Raynor implied, looking to Zeratul with a hopeful look.

"Emperor Mengsk never _made_ that Hybrid, Raynor!", Zeratul answered. "I, by a stroke of what you Terrans call luck, captured it and brought it to his lab for study!"

"Of course! What the hell you thought we were testing all those weapons for?", Mengsk asked. The weapons he implied, naturally, concerned a set of plasma rifles, upgraded grenades, devices that could deform space and time, for a short time, and a pair of **A.R.E.S** war robot prototypes. The weapons Raynor used during his 'visiting' time and escape from the Castanar facility.

With that answer, Raynor was getting more and more desperate by the minute. He was captured, his ship and crew were taken over, his Protoss friend revealed to be partnered with the Dominion and now he was losing a battle of words, with which the evil pair held _all the solid answers._

"But still you ain't considered something, Zeratul, something you told me!", Raynor said. "You said that if Kerrigan was _dead,_ that Dark Voice of yours would take over and kill us all! But we managed to avoid it! Kerrigan is alive and not **INFESTED** anymore! I maybe saved the **_whole_** damn universe while you...", he looked at Mengsk, unable to point as his arms were restrained. "Kept sat on your damn throne on Korhal and you...", looking at Zeratul. "Were just _travelling_ somewhere else!"

Zeratul and Mengsk looked at each other for a brief moment. Then Zeratul looked at Raynor with a face similar to disappointment.

"I cannot believe you took the prophecy so literally and superficially...", he said with disappointment.

"Huh?", Raynor asked, not understanding it correctly.

"You sure as hell are the _dumbest **dumb**_ person in the whole universe, Jim!", Mengsk spoke, as he started moving slowly towards Raynor. "You can't even REFLECT on something for more than five minutes before you go jumping into the fire! When the prophecy spoke about the death of the Queen of Blades, it spoke of the _QUEEN OF THE ZERG_, not Kerrigan! And for a Queen of those things, especially when it's a human, de-infestation is much of a _death_ for the Swarm, as they don't have control. You and Valerian have opened a huge damn **hole** in the Zerg hierarchy and left them without someone to control them, someone with a _will of his own!_ If I were that 'thing' Zeratul talked about, I'd _usurp_ the whole Swarm **_ASAP!_**"

Raynor opened his eyes wide to every word Mengsk spoke. The words that would twist his reality for all time, making an atonement for his sins into the greatest mistake ever. Something that would be the greatest salvation would now be the kick start for a galactic apocalypse. And as Mengsk finally came close to Raynor, face to face, he spewed the last and perhaps the most horrifying words ever pronounced.

The terrible words of truth.

_"'Saved the universe', Captain? You handed it to that creature in **a silver platter!**"_

* * *

**TRIVIA AND NOTES:  
**

- Most of the amount of content here are factually based on the game's single-player campaign itself, except, perhaps, for that poison story. All I know is that Findlay's suit was made to kill his major organs, so that's a forgivable one. The initial saying belongs too to the game, it's speaker being General Horace Warfield.

- The final part was heavily inspired by _"The Matrix Revolutions"_, foremost Commander Locke, specially at the part after the EMP stunt.

- All characters and relations are rightful property of Blizzard Entertainment. The only thing original of mine is this fan-fiction.


End file.
